Quote from: Petunia on May 11, 2026, 02:47:45 AMI know this about clothes purchases but I bought a new lipstick which matches my lip colour a gives a nice sheen and defines my lips.
I have worn it out in "me"mode which is guy with some touches.
I also bought some black ankle boots with a low chunky heel.
And a bright countoured blouse that flares at the hips to flatter my obviously male shape. But the neck line is a bit low showing scars so I'll need to use concealer for that.
This is something that I shouldn't wear out because dressing is confined to home.
Boots and lipstick is probably just ok
I'd love to post photos but it looks like I need to put them on a hosting site first.
It's probably boring for all the rest of you ladies but for me...
More fascinating than boring. This echoes my own journey closely in both clothing and attitude.
I negotiated with myself for years about what what I allowed myself to wear and be.
I started with a site called Pink Femme that had 40 steps to transition. Having this structure was encouraging as well as terrifying, and got me started. The first step with lips was using lip balm several times a day to get used to the feeling of carrying and using a tube of lip product. Then I went to tinted lip balms, which was invisible to anyone except my terrified self looking into a magnifying mirror. Clinique products progressed from Nude Pop to Blush Pop to Love Pop. Cherry Pop is my edge now.
Ankle boots were my first really female shoes with an almond-shaped toe and one pair in blush. Once I wore them once I couldn't resist wearing them again and again.
That blouse sounds amazing! Only recently have I found joy instead of fear in lower necklines and the peplum flare is great for anyone with smallish hips.
Let's talk about language now, friend. I've shifted the way I talk about myself, both self-talk and with others. I used to say I had male hips. Now I have narrow hips. I used focus on my bald spot but now I have developed my curls that frame my face and I have wigs. My watershed moment was when I was laughingly referring to myself as an old man. I had recently changed my pronouns to they/them and adopted the name Krista in queer spaces. A young friend said, "Krista, why are you calling yourself a man when you are not he/him?" They also pointed out that I was often self-deprecating. I had thought I was being transparent, but I was protecting myself by lowering my expectations.
I shifted my thinking from "trying to pass as a woman" to "enjoying enhancing myself as a trans woman".
I just figured out how to post a profile photo. Can my host site for photos be a Google Drive? I'll figure that out next. I'm 64 and I don't pass, but I have some awesome assets! My shape is good and easily enhanced with breast forms. I have a great smile that looks good in red lipstick. My thighs are all kinds of sexy.
And as a type I fight now to balance this with all the things I don't like about my looks. But I'm aware of the fight!
Thank you for provoking this self-reflection, Petunia.
